Watch Connor McDavid help Team Canada end a five-year WJHC gold medal drought right here!
Who will Evan Bouchard have to beat out to win a spot on the Oilers roster this year? Read about it!
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NHL Rumors and Speculation
Lowetide: Believes the Oilers should bring back Adam Larsson over Tyson Barrie at the end of the 2020-21 NHL season. He says Larsson’s shutdown ability is more valuable than Barrie’s puck-moving skills.
NHL Trade Talk: Would you trade Patrik Laine for Matthew Tkachuk?
“With the Boston Bruins potentially going very young with their defensemen group they could use a low-priced veteran or two”
New York Post: An issue to be negotiated, players on one-year deals are allowed to sign extensions beginning January 1st, that’s a date that will have to be changed.
Edmonton Sun: Oilers doctors believe Oscar Klefbom has to give his shoulder issue 6-9 months. The team is shooting for a September 2021 return according to Oilers GM Ken Holland.
Elliotte Friedman: Everyone believes that the Islanders have deals done with Andy Greene, Matt Martin, and Cory Schneider but won’t announce it yet as they’ve got other things to do first.
Chris Johnston (Sportsnet): When the Finnish Liiga returns from its COVID-19 break this month, all players will be required to wear a full-face shield to reduce the risk of infection.
Vince Sapienza (Fox Sports): Golden Knights owner Bill Foley says he’s working to keep Deryk Engelland within the organization to work with foundations, youth skating, etc.
Pierre LeBrun (TSN): Hockey Canada will ask St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong to come back and be GM of its national team for the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Jack Harris (LA Times Sports): The Los Angeles Kings are “done with the initial phase of the rebuilding” according to head coach Todd McLellan.
Tonight the inaugural Hlinka Gretzky Cup will begin and I just wanted to give you the heads up on some of the talent that will be gracing the ice in Edmonton and Red Deer for the next 5 days!
What I’m going to do here is just give you a brief overview of the players you should be paying attention to if you end up watching the games on TV or actually going to the games.
We’ll start with the lesser known teams and work our way to the Canadian team because Canada dominates this tourney nearly every year and it usually has the most talent on its roster.
(Sh*t! I just saw Derek Neumeier’s title to his post over at FC Hockey… My bad! Check his post out. It’s very good! Hopefully, some traffic love will appease the blogging gods for using basically the same title…)
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Rochette has dual citizenship (CAN/SUI) and has spent the last 5 years plying his trade in the Swiss system. This year he was drafted by the Chicoutimi Sagunéens 7th overall in the QMJHL draft.
2019 draft eligible
A dynamic playmaker who has good vision and the ability to make passes in traffic. He is a fluid skater and is skilled with the puck. (link)
Delemont is part of a new breed of defenseman coming to the forefront of hockey. The small offensive defenseman.
2020 draft eligible
Delemont makes up for his lack of size with deft skating abilities and offensive play. He has been productive on the back end at nearly every level he has played at. Confidence and mobility with the puck on the blue line, cerebral decision making. (link)
Drafted 1st overall by the Saint John Sea Dogs in the most recent CHL import draft, it’s been a while since a Slovak has been this hyped but Cajkovic is the most talented player on Team Slovakia by far and will be impossible to miss.
2019 draft eligible
Cajkovic is pure offense from his shot all the way down to his fancy feet that deke and dangle their way towards premium scoring chances. (link)
Slovakia’s top 2020 eligible prospect will lace ’em up for the team and provide some offense from the blueline.
2020 draft eligible
A composed two-way defender who can make quick decision with the puck and move well laterally. His stride is long and efficient, it makes it simple for him to jump up in the rush off a first pass. (link)
Saint John also added this talented Czech in the import draft this year. Oilers prospect Ostap Safin, should he get sent back to junior, is going to have a couple of fine forwards to play with in Prikryl and Cajkovic next season.
2019 draft eligible
Highly skilled centre. Provides leadership and is a scoring threat whenever he is on the ice. Was a standout player on a team that could not seem to get it going during World Under-17 Challenge. High hockey IQ and always seems to be in the right place. Can play the point on the power play. Top prospect for 2018 CHL Import draft with potential to develop into pro prospect. (link)
Martin Hugo Has is a massive defender who’ll be suiting up for Tampere in the SM-Liiga next season. He’ll draw the scouts attention simply due to his size and physicality.
2019 draft eligible
He possesses an absolute cannon for a shot from the blue line, gets pucks through traffic. Thinks the game well in his own zone, doesn’t just throw the puck away but he is proactive with the puck on his stick. (link)
Zaitsev was selected by the Red Deer Rebels in the import draft this year and will be suiting up for them in the upcoming season. So there’s a good reason for Rebels fans to take in Russia’s games.
2019 draft eligible
Wonderful skater with strong agility and edge work that gets him into prime set-up areas with regularity. Zaitsev was a top-six player for most of the year, centering either the first or second line. He has good size and keen vision, but he also lends support well below the circles in his own end. Zaitsev seems more like a playmaker than a shooter, but his ability to think ahead of time and properly rank the best options is what separates him from most 2019-eligible pivots. (link)
Russia’s no.1 dman is slated to be one of the most important pieces to their team at this tournament.
Mobile, two-way defenceman. Excellent skater, escapes hits with his skating agility. Really smooth and effortless skater – smart positional defender who transitions quickly. Hard guy to forecheck and can skate the puck out of trouble. He lacks size and strength. Needs to add a little strength for puck battles, as his compete can only take him so far. Loads of upside to his game. (link)
Podkolzin will most likely be manning Russia’s top line at the tournament.
2019 draft eligible
Podkolzin is one of those noticeable players because he works extremely hard but also finds a way to be involved in most quality chances for his team. He busts his rump every shift, so it’s no coincidence the puck seems to always find him. He also owns a deadly shot. (link)
SPEED! He’ll be one of the faster players at the tournament. So you might actually miss him if you’re not paying attention.
2019 draft eligible
Diminutive yet dangerous goal scorer who hunts for pucks and is willing to pay a high price to grab them. Altonen has speed and a heavy shot that keeps both defenders and goalies honest, so his pump fakes usually leads to a lot of bodies sliding across the deck. His combination of speed and elite stickhandling terrorizes unsure opponents. (link)
Kokkonen is the straw that stirs the drink for this Finland team. Look for him to be a massive factor in the team’s success or lack thereof.
2019 draft eligible
One of best defenceman in this age group. Kokkonen has already seen time in Liiga playing for Jukurit. Jumps into the play, has good offensive instincts. Has a very good shot that he keeps low and accurate. Can be physical when needed to separate the opponent from the puck. (link)
Scored at nearly a point-per-game at last year’s u18’s, he should be an important contributor to Finland’s offense this year as well.
2020 eligible
The most interesting aspect of Lundell’s game is his maturity. His hockey IQ is excellent and his defensive play and positioning are much better than would be expected from the player of his age. Lundell has solid hands but he doesn’t make unnecessary dekes for the sake of being flashy. He focuses on simple yet efficient play instead. (link)
He will challenge Alexis Lafreniere for the scoring title at this tournament and for the 1st overall selection in 2020. I think he’d be a top-10 pick in this year’s draft if he were able to be selected a year early.
2020 draft eligible
A 2020 draft eligible who has been touted as the next great forward coming out of Sweden for many years now. Holtz has been playing above his age since he was a pre-teen and actually spent some time last year playing at Sweden’s top junior level in the SuperElit, where he scored a productive 8 points in 11 games. Holtz has been dominant against his own age group for years now, and he is well known for his instinctive offensive play, fundamental scoring abilities and intelligent well rounded offensive game. (link)
Returns for his second kick at the can in this tourney. Has a motor that never stops and will be an integral part of Sweden’s leadership core.
2019 draft eligible
Described as a dynamic power forward who doesn’t take shifts off. Can create offense on his own with crafty puck handling and explosiveness on the attack. (link)
This year’s high-end smooth skating right-shot 2-way defender out of Sweden is Victor Soderstrom. Will anchor the Swedish defense along with Tobias Bjornfot.
2019 draft eligible
He is a balanced defender who shows terrific skating abilities both with and without the puck. He can play a dependable defensive game, a mobile offensive game, or a hard-nosed physical game depending on the situations he adjusts to. His puck moving side is quite efficient. He has a turn and burn transitional game in which he gets pucks into the offensive zone productively. (link)
From all accounts, Bjornfot is a SOLID two-way defender who’s more talented on the defensive side of the puck than the offensive. Not to say that he’s not offensively gifted as his 22pts in 42 games for Djurgarden suggest there IS offense there but he may find that playing a more shut-down role may benefit him more in this tournament.
2019 draft eligible
There are not many flaws in Bjornfot’s defensive game. He plays physically in the corners and in front of the net, maintains solid gap control, and rarely gets beaten in one-on-one situations. (link)
Ridiculously talented sniper currently cutting up the OHL for Hamilton. A likely candidate to lead the US in scoring this week.
2019 draft eligible
Kaliyev is that goal scoring winger who plays such a composed and controlled style of game. He has confidence with the puck on his stick and instinctive abilities that are a great contributor to his goal scoring success. He is a big kid who has slick puck controlling abilities, a wicked release that can stun a goalie, and the ability to score from anywhere with the puck on his stick. (link)
The only goalie on our list today. Wolf backed up Carter Hart last year in Everett and is expected to take over the starter’s role in 2018/19.
2019 draft eligible
An athletic net minder who suffocates first chance opportunities. He has excellent reflexes with his lower body and despite not being a bigger goalie, he makes up for it with his quickness and awareness.
The next great Canadian scorer is amongst you. 40+ goals as a 16-year-old in the QMJHL is mad and I’m jealous I’m not in Edmonton to watch this talent. Watch, someone will tag him with the old “Generational” this week. He might be the next Mike Bossy, who knows? All I do know is the kid scores at will and he’ll be lighting up junior oppositions for the next two seasons.
2020 draft eligible
Lafreniere is an elite scoring winger who possess one of the most lethal shots from a junior player we have seen in a while. Controls the game when he is on the ice, dictates the play and pace. He has great hands and can flash skill at times, making defenders look silly.(link)
Krebs will be, at worst, a top-ten pick in this year’s draft. He’s drawn some comparisons to Jonathan Toews due to his outstanding two-way play. Was the WHL’s first overall pick in 2016.
2019 draft eligible
Dynamic center with leadership traits, game-changing speed and creativity. Krebs can be a stopper in the defensive zone and a scoring threat in the opposing end. He is the kid you summon to take all the big draws or deliver a game-changing play. (link)
The 2018 WHL Rookie of the Year, Cozens reminds me a bit of Jeff Carter in that the release on his shot is absolutely deadly. He’s got Carter’s size but I don’t think he has his skating unfortunately. Not far off mind you but that shot though… Wow! Should be a top-ten pick next June in Vancouver.
2019 draft eligible
Cozens has a great shot and knows how to finish in a variety of ways, including roofing a backhander from in close. He competes hard in all three zones and creates separation in open ice thanks to his above-average speed. (link)
Scored big at the u17’s last year with 7pts in 5 games. Dach has that Getzlaf size/skill thing going for him. He’s also not the type to shy away from the rough stuff. Could be unstoppable once he gets his weight up to the 215lb range. Not the fastest buggy on the track though.
2019 draft eligible
Dach is a man among boys, which is going to spell a lot of trouble for teams trying to defend against him. Don’t let his size fool you, however: Dach is also incredibly skilled and patient with the puck. Displaying a style of hockey similar to a young Joe Thornton, he uses his large frame and long reach to maintain possession and work a cycle while scanning for opportunities to set up scoring chances for his teammates. (link)
Byram should be a top-5 pick in the 2019 draft. He’s such a good skater and he works his edges so well. He’ll be a top-pairing defender in the NHL someday that also QBs the powerplay. Not only that but there’s an old-school element to his game as well if you know what I mean. Shades of Denis Potvin maybe?
2019 draft eligible
Tough-as-nails defender with deceptive agility and puck handling who is earmarked for a top pairing at the NHL level. Byram is an outstanding puck mover who makes good decisions, but his powerful back skating helps him retreat in time to thwart counterattacks. He stands up at his blue line and rapidly transitions from defense to offense. (link)
Local boy, Matthew Robertson, who plays for the hometown Edmonton Oil Kings, is a smooth-skating two-way defender. Will most likely be tasked with being a shut-down defender on this Team Canada due to his high-end defense and his excellent skating.
2019 draft eligible
Earning minutes on the top penalty kill unit and power play unit as a 16 year old. A fluid skating assertive two-way defender who hs elite footwork and transitional game. He processes the game better than anyone else and makes great reads in transition. Mobile on the blue line and able to create shooting lanes with his footwork. Defends the rush well and rarely ever gets beat wide. (link)
So big thanks to draftgeek.ca, The Sporting News (Kournianos), and Future Considerations because that’s where the majority of the quotes came from. Click some of the links above to get more information.
I hope you enjoy the tournament!
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I hope you had a chance to take in that Canada/USA game World Championships game. Boy, it was a beauty! Connor McDavid and Matt Barzal were smiling like butcher’s dogs with so much room out there and they were electrifying!
Sadly Team Canada didn’t get much support from its goaltending and defense.
Darcy Kuemper looked like an AHL goalie and Darnell Nurse got caught out a couple of times on a bad pinch that resulted in goals against.
Canada plays Korea next on Sunday… What?! Korea?
BYE BYE AUVITU
Yohann Auvitu is off to Europe and that’s a shame. I really liked his game once he got comfortable. He moved the puck the right way and was a Coffey-like threat on the rush.
Unfortunately, Todd McLellan didn’t feel the same way. He never put Auvitu in a position to succeed (*cough* THE POWERPLAY *cough) and in my opinion didn’t allow himself to gain the trust in this player.
I truly feel that if McLellan had given Auvitu some more leash that the Frenchman would’ve been able to replace Andrej Sekera…
Everybody says the Oilers lacked a puck moving defenseman last year. No, they didn’t. They had one right under their noses…
HURRICANES MAKE #2 OVERALL AVAILABLE
On this week’s Bobcast, Bob McKenzie told us that the rumor was that after the 3 finalists for the 1,2,3 spots in the draft were drawn (at the draft lottery) during the break Carolina was very much interested in letting the league know that if they won the 1st overall pick it would be available for the right price.
Now once the draft lottery was over and the order had been said, Tom Dundon made it known that the no.2 was very much up for grabs and that they were going to consider all of their options according to McKenzie.
The kicker to all of this is Rick Dudley being hired away from the Montreal Canadiens, to be their VP of hockey ops.
In a 5-year span, Rick Dudley traded the 1st overall pick THREE TIMES according to Bob McKenzie. Between 1999 and 2003 Dudley moved that pick thricely.
1999: Tampa Bay had the #1 pick and traded it to Vancouver for the #4, #75, and #88. Was all part of the Sedinery as McKenzie calls it because Vancouver found a way to move it in order to be able to select both Sedin brothers. Atlanta ended up with the 1st overall and picked Patrik Stefan.
2002: Florida had the #1 but didn’t want to take Rick Nash, they wanted Bouwmeester, so they flipped picks and the option to swap 1st rounders in 2003 (that wasn’t exercised) with Columbus if Florida wanted. Interesting side note here is that Dudley sent two more picks to Atlanta (a 3rd rounder in 2002 and a 4th rounder in 2003) in order for them NOT to draft Bouwmeester at no.2.
2003: Florida had the #1 and traded it along with the #73 to Pittsburgh for #3, #55, and Mikael Samuelsson. FLA took Horton 3rd overall and PIT took MA Fleury 1st overall.
The Bobfather says that historically teams haven’t been willing to pay huge prices to move up because the teams further down the draft order aren’t willing to pay a massive premium to get up to no.2 because the player they take at no.2 isn’t all that different than the player they’ll get at 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th overall.
But is this year different? The Hurricanes are positioning themselves in way that hints to them moving that pick and as McKenzie tells us during the podcast, Rick Dudley was working very hard on the draft for the Canadiens before leaving for Carolina. So he’s going to have a deep knowledge of this year’s crop of players coming in. Moving down and pickup up more selections makes sense.
Now, how does this tie in with the Oilers?
Well, like it or not Oilers fans, Peter Chiarelli has been active at every draft he’s run for Edmonton. Be that talking about hockey trades or moving up in the draft, he’s had his nose in the thick of things every year and I don’t see this as any different.
IF Chiarelli wants to rid himself of some salary, he could do it here BUT it wouldn’t be a contract like Russell, Lucic, or Sekera. It’d be a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or a Leon Draisaitl in my opinion. I talked a bit about this yesterday (link).
I’m not saying I’d support a trade of that magnitude but the Hurricanes need a no.1 and I think that RNH or Leon would be that in the Eastern Conference. The Oilers could use to shed a few dollars and add depth on the wing. Svechnikov or Zadina will score 20 goals next year for sure. Would it be more on McDavid’s wing?
You can work out a trade proposal yourself but there are a few teams who are looking to shake their foundations, Carolina, Ottawa, and Buffalo. If the Oilers were smart, they’d be trying to fleece those guys.
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Now that the Oilers season is done we can move on to other important things as fans of hockey like who’ll be representing Team Canada at the World Championships in Denmark for one but before we do that I just want to say how proud I am of the hockey community worldwide since the Humboldt tragedy. Just the amount of money raised (over $4M!!!) and awareness from hockey teams globally is, pardon my french, f*cking amazing! Well done folks!
Now, the families everyone involved and the driver of the truck that hit the bus have a long way to go but let’s keep that support strong! I loved the hockey sticks on the porch idea and I hope the boys had a helluva game up there!
I did this quick mockup of the team I wouldn’t mind seeing head over. I’m not 100% sure about all of the players. I’m hoping that if I make a mistake that you’ll point it out to me and let me know in the comments!
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-Connor McDavid-Mat Barzal
Jamie Benn-Tyler Seguin-Jeff Skinner
Mike Hoffman-Sean Monahan-Jordan Eberle
Brayden Schenn-Ryan O’Reilly, Mark Stone
Mark Giordano-Alex Pietrangelo
Ben Hutton-Dougie Hamilton
Mike Matheson-Aaron Ekblad
Cam Talbot
Jake Allen
Spares: Bo Horvat, Jonathan Huberdeau, Jaden Schwartz, Colton Parayko, Jakub Chychrun, James Reimer
Like I said, I’m not 100% sure about the availability of the players there, just a quick and dirty mock of the roster. Now, on to the links!
The Cult of Hockey – Edmonton Oilers cash in Patrick Maroon trade, sign Cooper Marody – Marody proved to be a stellar scorer in his third college season, which made him worth the pick, especially on a team like the Oilers that needs help at forward sooner than later.
Oilersnation – Klefbom Gets Good News on His Shoulder – Oscar Klefbom, like all his teammates, was disappointed in how their season unfolded, but he was very excited about his upcoming off-season training. He had surgery to clean up his shoulder, which has been bothering him for years.
Oilers YYC Podcast – Episode 41: Carl Landra – Carl Landra from The 4th Line Podcast joins Pete and Dave on The Roundtable and look back on the NHL season that’s been and the playoffs to come sans Oilers. The gang also takes a closer look at upcoming UFAs and RFAs on the Oilers roster.
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If you were to bring up a prospect like Matthew Savoie to a regular hockey fan, the reaction is usually the same.
“He’s only twelve.”
The sentiment behind a statement like that is dismissive yet understandable. The fact of the matter is that Matthew Savoie is only 12 years old, however he is doing things we have seen very few hockey players do at such a young age. Not only has he been able to produce at well over a point per game average playing with kids two years older than him, he’s shown that he can be dominant in those games, often times the teams most effective forward. The hesitation or skepticism towards buying into the hype around a player like Savoie is understandable as we’ve seen many players come through the bantam ranks and end up either not living up to expectations or fall through the cracks before they even reach the league. Though this has been the case for a number of players, my money is on Matthew Savoie being one of the best prospects to come out of minor hockey in years.
There are very few flaws in Matthew’s game, and a such an early age, he’s shown a commitment to playing with consistent intensity, and has proven he can be relied upon in any situation. Savoie is a dynamic skater with the ability to explode up the wing, as well as be deceptive with his edge work while transporting the puck. He’s a highly creative offensive zone player who’s ability to find shooting and passing lanes to the net has put him amongst the top scorers in the league. He’s a strong checker, not something you’d expect out of an underage player, but his ability to explode through hits and fight through traffic make him that much more dynamic. He’s a defensively sound player who engages opponents quickly and utilizes his stick well in order to take away passing lanes, making offensive zone time difficult for the opposition. His ability in the faceoff dot is one of his biggest strengths as he has shown he can win draws against bigger competition. Though he’s still a few years away from WHL action, he already projects to be a combination Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Curtis Lazar in his ability to powerful, high skilled game
It’s uncertain whether or not we will see Savoie in Bantam next season as he’s proven to be competitive enough to remain with the ’02 age group, meaning he may end up playing at the Elite 15 level come the 2017/18 season. There are many routes which Savoie could take over the next few years as he has become one of the most heavily recruited players over the past year, and it’s expected by many that he may become the first WHL player granted exceptional status, which would allow him to enter the league full time at 15.
The St. Albert Sabres faceoff against Sherwood Park the first round of the AMBHL playoffs, so follow @DraftGeekHockey for game updates. Thank you for reading.
